Youngsters will 'meet the Vikings' when Norfolk's top rugby club hosts a major family event this weekend to help attract more youngsters to the sport.The Junior Viking Day at North Walsham Rugby Club on Saturday will give children and parents a taste of rugby at the Scottow ground as well as offering a range of fun activities and competitions.

Youngsters will 'meet the Vikings' when Norfolk's top rugby club hosts a major family event this weekend to help attract more youngsters to the sport.

The Junior Viking Day at North Walsham Rugby Club on Saturday will give children and parents a taste of rugby at the Scottow ground as well as offering a range of fun activities and competitions.

The Vikings' first team will be hosting Clifton for a National League Division 3 South match that day and more than 500 people are expected to attend.

The event is aimed at both boys and girls aged from five to 16. All youngsters will gain free admission and the first 200 will receive a Junior Viking baseball cap.

The day will also highlight the work of the Viking Learning Centre. Based at North Walsham's ground and supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Norfolk County Council, the centre uses rugby-themed activities to engage students in learning.

Centre manager Mark Scott said: “This is a great opportunity to raise local community awareness of the work of the Viking Learning Centre with pupils across Norfolk and to get more youngsters along and show them what rugby is all about.”

The Junior Viking Day - which starts at 2pm - will include an open coaching session, a demonstration game by North Walsham Minis before kick-off, a bouncy castle and other entertainment. Children will be able to have their photograph taken with the first team and vote for their Man of the Match.

Property group Targetfollow, North Walsham's main sponsor, will be supporting the day. Director of property Ian Fox is a former North Walsham first team captain who now coaches a squad of U10s at Scottow on Sundays.

“Young players are the lifeblood of a successful club like North Walsham and our Junior Viking Day will offer them a relaxed and fun way to sample rugby with their families,” he said. “Initiatives like this and the Viking Learning Centre are important investments in the future, ensuring that we generate real enthusiasm for the game among each new generation.”

For more information on the Junior Viking Day, call Adrian Goldney on 01603 216534. For information on the Viking Learning Centre, call Mark Scott on 07788 567999.